Linden ? See Leaves - Leaves prematurely dropping, Sticky feel to leaves and tree seems to be dropping fluid that is attracting Bees, Yellow Jackets and flies

Hi - really appreciate your help.

First - can you confirm this is a Linden as is my belief?

Problem - concerned about volume of Yellow Jackets where children play.  Closer examination finds the growths pictures on the leaves and sticky feel to each.  There is evidence of insect infestation or other consumption of leaves.

Its late in season - do I trim back tree after leaves fall?  Help identify problem and possible solutions.

Note I am not sure whether I am attaching photo correctly.  

Followed Tutorial  -  used Host Image icon, browsed my Mac - found and selected the photo.   After selecting Host It - I selected the center line and clicked Upload but do not see an image when I preview. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

Carl

Spoke with a neighbor who has a similar problem. Would really appreciate any insights.

Thank you
Carl

The black is sooty mold. The sticky stuff is honeydew. It is secreted by several of the small, soft-bodied sucking insects -- most often, aphids. You probably have ants, too. The tree appears to be badly infested.

Start by removing and destroying (bagging and tossing with the trash or yard waste) most of the leaves. Then, use a HARD jet of water and spray the remaining leaves and tyhe drunk and branches from All sides. (Careful you don't wash out the soil.)

Next use a pyrethrin spray (many available at Home depot, etc.) or a soap spray, like Safers, and pretty much drench the leaves and the trunk and bark. Rpeat the spray in a couple of days -- and again, as needed.

And yes, that appears to be a Linden of some ilk.

CarlM wrote:

That was helpful.

JimLewis wrote:That was helpful.

glad to be of service !
but i think you pretty much covered it...

Yes that is a Linden. It is or has been suffering from aphids, the things on the leaves are galls. If you would cut the open you would see either an egg or a larvae of some insect. They are not harmful to the tree, but the aphids and the sooty mold are, the aphids cause the sticky sap on which the mold grows, which in turn clogs the pores of the leaves, these are not good.
Follow Jim's prescription, that would sort it.

for what it is worth, the flies are most likely there feeding on the honey dew secreted by the aphids, the stuff the black sooty mold is growing on. The yellow jackets are most likely there to feed on the flies, and to some degree the honey dew from the aphids also. Both will disperse once the aphids are gone.

Just a quick thought in response though..

Considering how fall is just around the corner, would a prtial defoliation not do more harm at this stage?

Were it my tree, I would use a fairly gentle spray to waqsh most of the honeydew & mould away. Then tread against the aphids, knowing leafdrop would start over the next 6 weeks probably anyway, giving the tree a chance to absorb some of the nutrient in the infected leaves..?

Carl - on average, most trees take about 6 weeks to recover from defoliation. This recovery interval can be more or less, depending on where you live. In my home town of Chicago winter IS coming and it can be cruel - again! So ordinarily I would counsel against defoliation at this time. But you have a serious problem that needs serious attention.

I cut away all severely infected parts of the tree, then wash the tree with peppermint soap (if you can find it) or a mild dish washing liquid. Finally, I would spray the tree with a gallon solution of water, about an on ounce of canola oil with a dash of malathion and dish washing liquid. Or you can us any other store bought insecticide. You might also treat the plant with a good systemic insecticide like Bayer. And don't forget to treat the soil...critters can also be there! Good luck, I'm sure your tree can be saved.

with all this talk of defoliation, i'm surprised no-one asked where in the "united states" this tree is located...

"fall is just around the corner" could mean very different things in very different locales

(not that i'm trying to be helpful or anything like that )

Well, Linden tends to grow where fall IS just around the corner, but that's a good point. OTOH, I didn't espouse total defoliation; I think I said "most" or maybe "many" of the leaves. And, since the tree is gonna lose them anyway . . .

I'd never recommend Malathion.

Thanks all - Tree is in Freehold NJ area - fall is 6 - 8 weeks away. Although heat wave makes it seem like summer is just starting.

Will try the insecticidal soap approach as a first step today at dusk when the critters are less active.

Cheers all!

Carl lot of good information. Remember what ever method you use (don't combine chemicals unless label states so) you will need to do several applications, normally about 1 week apart. Also please update your profile to Freehold, NC. Most recommendations are dependent upon location. Keep us informed on what you do and how things are progressing.

I agree with RCK, Jim Lewis and Kevin that total defoliation is a bad idea. The galls are most likely one of the Ichneumen wasps, or another gall forming insect, unrelated to the aphid problem. They are not a serious persistant problem, just cleaning up leaves in autumn after they fall and burning them or bagging and disposing of them should take care of that problem. The soap or oil spray already suggested, including Safer's soap, peppermint soap, & neem oils will all work to get rid of the aphid.

Merit or Bayer tree and shrub insecticides are systemics and will solve both problems if you are inclined to go that direction.

With autumn coming within 2 months, just washing off the aphids may be enough.